Afghanistan: Objectives

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the specific objectives of the United Kingdom armed presence in Afghanistan; and how these differ from other NATO members' objectives.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: UK forces are in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, comprising 40 nations. NATO announced its strategic vision statement at the Bucharest summit in April. This explains that the ISAF is there to help the Government of Afghanistan to build security, and to extend the reach of good governance, reconstruction, and development throughout the country.

Agriculture: Pesticides

Lord Plumb: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they have taken to secure support for revisions to the proposed European Union regulation on placing plant protection products on the market, in light of advice from the Pesticides Safety Directorate on the effect of the regulation, if implemented, on conventional commercial agriculture in the United Kingdom.

Lord Rooker: The Government have circulated the report of the Pesticides Safety Directorate to all member states and the Commission, stressed the need to consider the impacts for the Community as a whole, and pressed for changes. The Government have also written to Commissioner Vassiliou seeking to clarify which substances would be withdrawn under these proposals.
	The presidency put a compromise proposal to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in June for political agreement which made some concessions to our concerns. We concluded, however, that the potential impacts were not justified and did not support the compromise.

Armed Forces: Black and Minority Ethnic Personnel

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many and what percentages of black and minority ethnic recruits were employed in the Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy in each of the years 2001 to 2007.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Information on the number and percentage of recruits from ethnic minority backgrounds by service is recorded in table 5 "Intake to the Untrained Strength of UK Regular Forces by sex and ethnic origin" of Tri-Service Publication 4, UK Armed Forces Quarterly Manning Report. A copy of this publication can be found at: www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=66&pubType=l.
	The latest available published data is for the financial year 2007-08.
	Due to ongoing validation of data following the introduction of the joint personnel administration system information on the number of ethnic minorities entering the untrained strength is unavailable for the Navy for financial year 2007-08.

Armed Forces: Black and Minority Ethnic Personnel

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many and what percentages of black and minority ethnic personnel are in the Armed Forces; and at what levels.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Information on the strength and percentage of ethnic minority personnel in the Armed Forces is published in table 2.11 of United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2007, "Strength of UK Regular Forces by ethnic origin and rank, at 1 April each year". A copy of this table can be found at: www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/apps/publications/pubViewFile.php?content=10.211&date=2007-09-26&type=html.

Armed Forces: Nimrod

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they have taken to ensure that shortcomings in RAF Nimrod aircraft in operation have been remedied; and whether there are other measures they can take in this regard.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: With respect to the airworthiness of the aircraft today, we have suspended air-to-air refuelling and ceased the use of the very hot air systems in flight. These measures, together with the enhanced aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures introduced since the Nimrod XV230 crash, ensure the aircraft, as it is today, is safe to fly.
	In addition, to ensure we can continue to operate the aircraft safely until its planned retirement from service, we have in place a programme of work which includes replacing, where necessary, fuel seals and hot air ducts on the aircraft. This work is being progressed as quickly as practicable.

Armed Forces: Nimrod

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the replacement Nimrod aircraft under development will include design features to remedy shortcomings identified in those in operation.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Nimrod MRA4 is a new aircraft which has been mostly designed from first principles with modern design features and safety standards for all the main systems and components. The MRA4 includes some 94 per cent new design and new parts compared to the Nimrod MR2 but, where MR2 design has been retained, the components have been completely refurbished and re-lifed to meet the expected life of the MRA4.

Army: Racism

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Army propose to tackle racism following the case of Private Kerry Hylton, who was compensated for an 11-month campaign of bullying; and
	In the light of the case of Private Kerry Hylton, what action they will take to eliminate racism in the Army.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Army is an equal opportunities employer: it treats all instances of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously, and the Ministry of Defence works closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the development of its policies. The Chief of the General Staff's equality and diversity directive for the Army provides firm guidance to officers and soldiers and provides a statement of commitment from the highest level within the Army. The Army's equality and diversity action plan provides details of specific initiatives such as increased equality and diversity training for commanding officers, and more equality and diversity advisers being placed in units.

Aviation: Gliders

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many occasions gliders have violated restricted airspace since 2005; and on how many of those occasions lack of transponder interoperability has been a contributing factor.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: According to the civil aviation authority's mandatory occurrence report scheme (MORS), there have been 16 reported instances of gliders infringing restricted or controlled airspace since 1 January 2005. In two of the reported occurrences, the gliders involved were carrying and using transponders. However, no determination has been made on whether a lack of transponder interoperability was a contributing factor in any of the occurrences.

Aviation: Gliders

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received from gliding clubs and individuals regarding the proposed requirement that all aircraft carry Mode-S transponders and radio equipment; and whether they have received any representations regarding the effect of the proposals on deaf and hard-of-hearing pilots.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) consultation regarding proposals for an incremental expansion of the use of Mode S transponders in the UK concluded on 31 May 2008. The CAA advises that approximately 2,100 replies were received of which a significant proportion originated from private individuals with gliding interests or organisations associated with gliding.
	The CAA is assessing the responses and, in due course, will publish a summary of responses and a response to consultees. At this stage in the assessment of responses, the CAA is not able to provide an indication of representations regarding the effects of the proposals on deaf and hard-of-hearing pilots, although none has been identified to date.
	However, I have been advised by the CAA that the changes proposed will not have an effect on aircraft flying in uncontrolled airspace below 10,000 feet outside of a mandatory transponder carriage zone, which will include the majority of recreational gliders.

Elections: Crewe and Nantwich

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of the electorate aged between (a) 18 and 21, and (b) 22 and 25, (1) were registered to vote, and (2) voted in the recent Crewe and Nantwich by-election.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is not possible to identify what proportion of the electorate were aged between (a) 18 and 21 and (b) 22 and 25, (1) were registered to vote, and (2) voted in recent Crewe and Nantwich by-election. Dates of birth are not collected on the annual canvass form and therefore electoral registration officers do not hold this information.
	However, I have been advised that the total electorate for the Crewe and Nantwich by-election was 71,963, of which 41,856 voters exercised their right to vote.

Fees

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the increase of 5.4 per cent in examination fees in the Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1402) was calculated.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The increases in the fee maxima for each class of test are based on two elements.
	The main part is the increased cost to testing stations of undertaking the MoT test—and the increase was based on a two-year estimate of inflation.
	The second small part is the amount passed on by the testing stations to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency to cover its costs in quality assuring the MoT scheme. This small increase—representing 3.5 per cent of the total test fee collected—was based on the assessed revenue needed for ensuring that the quality standards of the MoT continue to be maintained.

Fees

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which fees uprated by statutory instruments since 1 April 2007 have exceeded the rise in the cost of living in the previous 12 months; and how any such increases are justified.

Lord Davies of Oldham: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The normal policy is that fees should be set at a level to cover the cost of the service. Any variations to this policy should be provided for in legislation.

Government Vehicles

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the engine capacity and average fuel consumption per mile of all vehicles provided for ministerial use by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Lord Rooker: Vehicles provided for ministerial use by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have an engine capacity of 1497cc (based on a 1.5 litre hybrid engine). The average fuel consumption is 56.5 per mile per gallon (Urban).

Judicial Appointments

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many members the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission has; and how many work within the legal profession.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission comprises 13 members. The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland is the chairman of the commission. The other members are five judicial members; two legal profession members; and five lay members. Two of the judicial member positions are currently vacant.

Judicial Appointments

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the religion (tradition) of each member of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission; whether this is reflective of community balance; and, if not, why not.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The current membership of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, in terms of community balance, comprises six members who are regarded as Catholic, three who are regarded as Protestant and two who are regarded as belonging to neither community. Two judicial member positions are currently vacant. The Lord Chancellor and those responsible for making nominations to the commission endeavour, so far as is practicable, to secure that the membership of the commission is reflective of the community in Northern Ireland.

Judicial Appointments

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in appointing members of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, similar "community-reflective" criteria and principles are applied to it as to police recruitment and the distribution of offices within elected bodies in Northern Ireland; and, if not, why not.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There is a statutory duty on the Lord Chancellor and those responsible for making nominations to the commission to make such arrangements in connection with the exercise of their functions as will, so far as is practicable, secure that the membership of the commission is reflective of the community in Northern Ireland.

NHS: Spending

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much was spent on National Health Service services in 2006—07 in (a) the Tendring E01021988 super output area; (b) the Wirral E01007292 super output area; (c) the Doncaster E01007532 super output area; (d) the Liverpool E01006559 super output area; and (e) the Tower Hamlets E01004252 super output area.

Lord Darzi of Denham: This information is not collected in this format centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 9 June (WA 87), what information they had about Mr Chris Sidoti before appointing him as chairman of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum; and whether they will publish that information.

Lord Rooker: Mr Sidoti is a well known figure in the human rights field and the Northern Ireland Office had a substantial amount of information about Mr Sidoti's career history and experience. There are no plans to publish any additional information on Chris Sidoti.

Northern Ireland: Murder Prosecutions

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 June (WA 192) concerning the murders of Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Regiment members, how many convictions have been obtained in the 15 cases in which work is completed.

Lord Rooker: In relation to the 15 cases referred to in my Written Answer of 19 June, there have been no convictions.

Parades: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 June (WA 192—3) concerning income tax payments for members of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission, whether the Northern Ireland Office asked the commissioners whether they had paid income tax before it paid the related amounts.

Lord Rooker: No. This is a matter between the individuals and HMRC. The department was required to make a payment to HM Revenue and Customs and has no reason to believe that individual parades commissioners have not paid their respective tax liabilities.

Parades: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 June (WA 192—3) concerning income tax payments for members of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission, whether the Northern Ireland Office was required to make payments to HM Revenue and Customs while believing that the amounts had already been paid by the individual customers.

Lord Rooker: The department was required to make a payment to HM Revenue and Customs for settlement of the department's liability for the parades commissioners' income tax and national insurance contributions.

Parades: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 June (WA 197) concerning the payment of income tax and national insurance contributions by the Northern Ireland Office, whether it deducted income tax on a regular basis from the pay of Northern Ireland parades commissioners; and, if not, whether it did not consider the commissioners to be employees or office holders.

Lord Rooker: From 2006 the Northern Ireland Office has deducted income tax at source following clarification from HM Revenue and Customs that parades commissioners should be treated as office holders.

Parades: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 June (WA 197) concerning the payment of income tax and national insurance contributions by the Northern Ireland Office, why it treated the Northern Ireland parades commissioners as self-employed.

Lord Rooker: Before 2006 Northern Ireland parades commissioners were treated as self-employed to underline their independence from the department.

Parliament Square

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will join other interested parties in promoting Parliament Square as a traffic-free area.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Responsibility for improvements to Parliament Square, as part of the World Square for All programme, rests primarily with the Mayor of London, Transport for London and Westminster City Council. The Government continue to work with them to identify solutions that balance the needs of all users of Parliament Square.

Prisoners: Telephone Calls

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to reduce the cost of telephone calls to and from prisoners, following comments about tariffs by the National Consumer Council, the Scottish and Welsh Consumer Councils, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and independent monitoring boards.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There are no plans to reduce the cost of telephone calls for prisoners in light of the NCC comments. However, we are implementing reductions for some international calls following negotiation with the provider. The PINPhone system in prisons is a specific product designed to ensure safe and secure use of telephones by prisoners. Prices are not currently linked to public payphone rates. The National Offender Management Service continues to discuss the cost of calls with the providers but they are not contractually obliged to reduce the cost. To do this without their agreement would require a large subsidy from the taxpayer. The current contract is in place until 2011 and the retendering project will commence this year. Reasonable call prices for prisoners will form part of the requirements of the new contract.

Prisons: Population

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the number of inmates detained in Her Majesty's prisons in the United Kingdom per capita compares with other member states of the Council of Europe.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information on the numbers of prisoners held in countries in the Council of Europe for which statistics are available can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Table 1: Prison population in EU and main OECD countries, per 100,000 population, 2006 
			 Country Prison Population Rate per 100,000 population in 2006 
			 England and Wales 79,085 147 
			 Northern Ireland 1,433 82 
			 Scotland 7,111 139 
			 Austria 8,780 106 
			 Belgium 9,635 92 
			 Cyprus 599 77 
			 Czech Republic 18,578 181 
			 Denmark 3,759 69 
			 Estonia 4,411 328 
			 Finland 3,477 66 
			 France 55,754 88 
			 Germany 78,581 95 
			 Greece 10,113 91 
			 Hungary 14,821 147 
			 Iceland 119 39 
			 Ireland (Eire) 3,080 72 
			 Italy 39,005 66 
			 Latvia 6,965 303 
			 Lithuania 8,137 239 
			 Luxembourg 756 163 
			 Malta 346 85 
			 Netherlands 20,463 125 
			 Norway 3,164 68 
			 Poland 87,669 230 
			 Portugal 12,636 119 
			 Slovakia 8,249 153 
			 Slovenia 1,301 65 
			 Spain 64,120 145 
			 Sweden 7,175 79 
			 Switzerland 5,888 79 
			 Turkey 67,795 93 
			 Australia 25,790 125 
			 Canada 34,244 (2005) 107 (2005) 
			 Japan 79,052 62 
			 New Zealand 7,595 183 
			 South Africa 150,302 316 
			 USA 2,245,189 750 
			 Source: Ministry of Justice, Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006 
		
	
	This table is taken from table 8.17 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library. The weblink to the table can be found at: www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Unofficial Visits: Irish President

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many unofficial visits the President of the Irish Republic has made over the past five years to (a) Northern Ireland, and (b) Great Britain; and whether there has been any cost to the United Kingdom for those visits.

Lord Malloch-Brown: In the past five years the President of the Irish Republic has made 44 working visits to Northern Ireland and 18 to Great Britain at the invitation of public and private sector organisations and individuals.
	In accordance with normal practice for a visiting head of state, the President is provided with the security protection deemed appropriate in each case. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold records of associated costs.